Lean on Me
by fringeperson
Summary: DO NOT OWN. COMPLETE. ONESHOT. sequel to "fare thee well" - so it will make more sense if you read that first. another songfic. Cid finally gets to find out if Vincent waited for him. Death fic. Valenwind.


_Sometimes in our lives_

_we all have pain_

_we all have sorrow_

_but if we are wise_

_we know that there's_

_always tomorrow_

Cid had aged as gracefully as a mechanic and part-time saviour of the world could. When he died, if no one looked below the waist, he still looked great. Of course, below the waist he was rather horribly mangled, which was the reason for his death at the age of seventy-five, only ten years or so after they had disbelievingly entombed Vincent.

Marlene and Denzel had opened the door to the tomb of the late, great, gunman so that Cloud and Barret could carry Cid's coffin in. Cid, they knew, wouldn't be coming back, but they didn't want to offend the gunman, who they still believed could, so the second coffin was carefully sealed so that the embalmed man wouldn't cause the tomb to stink up at any point.

_Lean on me_

_when you're not strong_

_I'll be your friend_

_I'll help you carry on_

_for it won't be long_

_til I'm gonna need_

_somebody to lean on_

Marlene went over to Vincent's coffin and opened it.

"Vincent? Cid's going to be staying here with you from now on," she told the lifeless face that seemed more withered than she could ever remember it being. "You can keep an eye on each other again, just like you used to."

Denzel hung Cid's spear on the wall above the shelf where Vincent's guns were all displayed, under glass and on a red velvet cushion. Yuffie lay out the materia she had never managed to steal from the old man beside those few that Vincent had hoarded. Tifa smile weakly as she placed a packet of Cid's favourite tea beside the non-perishable foods they had left for Vincent the first time they had been into this tomb.

_Just swallow your pride_

_if I have things_

_you need to borrow_

_for no one can help_

_those of your needs_

_that you won't let show_

"Do you remember the time Cid cleaned Vincent's gauntlet?" Tifa asked as they sat in Seventh Heaven, all sharing beers and memories.

"You mean that time when he just pulled him into the corner booth, sat him down, pulled out his tool kit and forced maintenance on him?" Cloud queried, wanting to make sure. "Vincent was blushing through the whole thing, as well as complaining."

Barret laughed. "I remember Cid had asked to look at my arm once, before we met Vincent. I popped it off and he was happy to spend hours tinkering. Worked even better when he was done with it."

Marlene laughed. "Daddy, I think Cid was more interested in Vincent than his hand, and more interested in your hand than you."

Barret smiled at his little girl. "You're right Marlene, but it's important to remember that Cid had three great loves in his life. Vincent, flight, and his tea. That the second one caused him to become a damn genius with a spanner isn't something to be sneezed at hun."

_just call on me brother_

_when you need a friend_

_we all need somebody to lean on_

_I just might have a problem_

_that you'll understand_

_we all need somebody to lean on_

_lean on me_

_when you're not strong_

_and I'll be your friend_

_I'll help you carry on_

_for it won't be long_

_til I'm gonna need_

_somebody to lean on_

_just call on me brother_

_when you need a friend_

_we all need somebody to lean on_

_I just might have a problem_

_that you'll understand_

_we all need somebody to lean on_

In the lifestream, souls mingled and lost themselves as the waves gentled them along, pulling some to be reborn into the world again, and carrying others to their final rest. Some of the more stubborn souls, or those who had attachments to the living, remained unmoved by the current. Aerith and Zack were two such souls, as was Angeal who liked to keep an eye on Zack, and by extension had also kept an eye on the boy's friends.

"They really believe in him, don't they?" Angeal said as they looked in on the post-funeral drinks.

"In Vincent? Yes," Aerith said, a sad smile tugging at her mouth. "We all believed he wouldn't ever die, all except for Cid, for some reason."

"An' now he's dead too," Zack observed. "It will be nice to finally get to meet the fella properly."

_If you have a load_

_you have to bear_

_that you can't carry_

_I'm right up the road_

_I'll share your load_

_if you'll just call me_

Vincent stood in the lifestream, unmoving and his red eyes glowing as a soul slowly grew before him. At first the soul was just a vague impression of comfort, dreams and the mixed up smell of tea and engine grease, but Vincent knew who it was. There was only one soul that called to him as this one did. Not even Lucrecia had tugged at something so deep within him as this soul had.

Slowly, the vague impression became a solid one, taking on a recognisable form and developing colour apart from the glowing, flowing green of the lifestream. Soft golden hair, eyes the colour of the sky, goggles and gloves and boots and a smile that was just infectious.

"Hey beautiful," said the soul that stood before him now. The voice was the same as he remembered it too. "I'd hoped you'd be waiting for me when I got here. I missed you so bad."

Vincent bit back a joyful sob and wrapped his arms gratefully around his pilot.

"Oh Cid, Cid... I've missed holding you so much. Of course I waited for you, I love you," the gunman said softly, kissing that wonderfully stubbled face.

Cid sighed gratefully as he wrapped his arms around his love, his Vincent. "I love you too, and you never need to miss me again. We're together again, and nothing's gonna change that ever now. I won't let it."

Tears tracked down both of their faces as they stood in the swirling green, holding each other desperately for the first time in ten years. They'd never let go again.

_just call on me brother_

_when you need a friend_

_we all need somebody to lean on_

_I just might have a problem_

_that you'll understand_

_we all need somebody to lean on_


End file.
